In the early 2010s, If you’ve nothing to hide you’ve nothing to fear had already been resurfacing as a common thought-stopping cliché here in the states, since SCOTUS had been adding carve-outs by the dozens to the fourth amendment to the Constitution to the United States (the one about protections from unreasonable searches and seizures). At first, if you didn’t speak english, or are within 100 miles of a US border or coast (that’s most of the US), the police got free probable cause. Eventually SCOTUS ruled that if you were searched illegally and evidence for a crime was found, that evidence could not be suppressed if the crime was significant enough (e.g. the clothes of a missing child no wait, simple drug possession was enough.)

We were already aware of the FISC, FBI National Security Letters (the origins of the NSL canary statements) and the disposition matrix, by which even US citizens could be sentenced to execution by secret trial; the right to face one’s accuser was long forfeit.

But then, it was also a period in which US citizens averaged about three crimes a day, mostly violations of the CFAA (which Reagan signed into law after watching Wargames 1983. Violation of the TOS of a website was a federal felony, which meant every tween that got a Facebook Friendster or Myspace account was committing a crime that could be sentenced up to 25 years (what is the upper limit for murder one in some states). It wasn’t enforced… unless some official needed you to go away, say because he wanted your wife, or your property, or for you to shut up about his crimes.

And this is one example, and why telephone encryption is such a problem. Today, it’s illegal in most states for law enforcement to search your phone once you’re in custody without a warrant. They do anyway, and might or might not be able to crack the encryption with current tech (it’s an ongoing race between exploits and fixes). If they find something worth prosecuting, or assets worth seizing or extorting you over, or if they just don’t like you, then yes, expect to lose all your valuable property and assets, and become their informant. Sexual favors may also be necessary if you’re attractive.

And that’s why we need privacy, even as SCOTUS continues to strip it away from us.

In the 2020s, though, it’s all the other technologies: IMSI spoofing, camera drones, ALPRs, Facial Recognition (which is a good way to get falsely convicted), Ring doorbell camera botnets, reverse warrants based on location or websearches, and so on. Big Brother is left holding the beer of IRL 2024.